What happens when a Special Forces commando survives six years of combat, but realizes the hardest battle is learning how to rest?

In this episode, host Donna Hoffmeyer sits down with Tim Thomas—retired Australian Special Forces commando, mental health advocate, and founder of the Breathworks in Bed app. Tim opens up about his unconventional path into elite military selection at age 30, the invisible toll of undiagnosed PTSD, and the breakthrough in a psychologist's office that sparked a global mission to help others heal.

🎧 Episode Highlights:

• The Civilian to Commando Path: Entering Special Forces selection at 30 and facing the gut-wrenching choice to miss his child's birth to keep his spot.
• The Identity Paradox: Why suppressing individual identity—the military's greatest tactical strength—becomes a veteran's heaviest burden during transition.
• The Pyramid of Performance: Why high-achievers constantly ignore the true foundation of success: rest, recovery, and deep healing.
• Breathwork in the Dirt: How Tim discovered nervous system regulation while deployed in Afghanistan by focusing on his left thumb.
• Pulling "Stress Weeds": Understanding why your disempowered self actively resists positive change, and how the Breathworks in Bed app helps you win the first five minutes of your day.

🔥 Key Takeaway:

"You might not think you're special, but I bet you've been through some shit—and our job is not to stay in the shit, it's to turn it into fertilizer." — Tim Thomas

Get the App: Breathworks in Bed

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Host Donna sits down with Michael Dermer, founder of The Lonely Entrepreneur and IncentOne, to explore the powerful, surprising overlap between the entrepreneurial journey and the lives of the veterans and first responders.

Michael shares his raw path from corporate M&A lawyer to pioneering the health rewards industry, surviving the devastating 2008 financial crisis, and ultimately building a movement to ensure no entrepreneur has to struggle in isolation.

Resources & Links Mentioned

• The Lonely Entrepreneur Platform: Visit the Website to explore over 2,500 on-demand learning modules, tools, templates, and community support.
• The Veterans Initiative: Claim your free access license or learn how to support the mission at TLEfoundation.org/VEI.
• Weekly Open Coaching: Join the free weekly CEO Call for open mentorship and group coaching.
• Connect with Michael Dermer: Follow Michael's insights and journey on LinkedIn.
• Featured Book: The Lonely Entrepreneur by Michael Dermer (Be sure to check out the Applebee's story!)
• Upcoming Release: Keep an eye out for The Entrepreneur's Survival Guide—a tactical blueprint on how to adapt and thrive in a world driven by AI.

What happens when the damage to your brain isn't visible on a standard MRI, but it’s destroying your life?

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On this episode of Beyond the Frontline, Donna talks with Will Person, a former 9-year Team USA bobsled athlete turned advocate. Will’s story is a wake-up call for anyone in the high-impact world—from elite athletes to military veterans and domestic violence survivors.

Inside the Episode:

• The "Sled Head" Reality: Will discusses the extreme G-forces (up to 84.5 Gs!) and the crashes that led to a wave of suicides, strokes, and Parkinson’s among his teammates.
• The Invisible Injury: Why symptoms of CTE and TBI often don't surface until a decade after the trauma, and why talk therapy isn't enough when the brain is physically damaged.
• The Military Parallel: The striking similarities between bobsledders and artillery units—soldiers who may never see a "combat zone" but return with severe TBI symptoms from repeated blast exposure.
• A Path to Healing: How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and advanced imaging changed Will’s life, and his mission to make this treatment 100% free for those who need it most.

Resources & Support:

🔗 Learn More: TreatNow.org – Advocacy for veteran access to HBOT. 🔗 Follow Will: TikTok @OneManWithTheChamber for CTE and treatment insights. 🔗 Donate: Support the mission to provide free HBOT at Will’s GoFundMe .